blackberries

The slightly tart smell of blackberries wafted in the warm kitchen where we worked; washing and mixing blackberries, mixing sugar and pectin in with the tart concoction of juice and round, plump bits of blackberry heating on the stove. We listened to Christmas music on Pandora, licked sugar covered fingers, wiped blackberries off our hands and smeared faces. Once it boiled, we filled 30 canning jars with the hot, seedy, extremely sweet blackberry jam. I'm positive we all scalded our tongues at least once tasting the over-sweet, almost-boiling mixture. But boy, was it is yummy. And once it cools, spread over a piece of home-made, buttered bread? I assure you, it is delicious.

hugs and a jar of blackberry jam to y'all,
Mikailah